Endless chain ballast removing apparatus



March 16, 1954 M, FOX ET L 2,671,972

ENDLESS CHAIN BALLAST REMOVING APPARATUS Filed June 14, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l FIG l INVENTORS: Jasqvlzjfiaiclalm aa BY MW ATTORNEYS.

March 16, 1954 J. M. FOX ET AL ENDLESS CHAIN BALLAST REMOVING APPARATUS Filed June 14. 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 16, 1954 FOX ET AL 2,671,972

ENDLESS CHAIN BALLAST REMOVING APPARATUS Filed June 14, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 Sheets-Sheet BY WW ATTORNEYS.

March 16, 1954 J. FOX ET AL FIG. AL

- WITNESSES March 1954 J. M. FOX ET AL ENDLESS CHAIN BALLAST REMOVING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 14, 1948 INVENTORS. J0 [Milo/swim a;

Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNIT-ED PATENT OFFICE ENDLESS CH AIN BALLAST REMOVING APPARATUS iosepn M;Foana erfora, and Clarence J. R'eig h, Altoona, Pa.

Application June 14, 1948, Serial No. 32, 7 95 10 Claims. 1

Our invention has reference to means for -removing materials such as broken stone, cinder, slag, gravel and dirt comprising the ballast in track, which has become fouled and interferes with the proper drainage of the track structure, from the cribs between ties of a track, to approximately the bottom of ties.

This material is deposited in the intertracl; space or on the border where it can be cleaned by one of the existing machines used for such purposes, and returned to the tie cribs, or if wasting of the fouled ballast is desired, it can be disposed of by loading or shoveling out on the track'shoulder and be replaced by new ballast.

It'further materially assists in the renewal or spacing of ties by clearing the cribs between ties of ballast and allowing free movement of the tie laterally. v

Cribbing apparatusor machines as known are invariably cumbersome to handle, as well as difficult to remove from, and place back on a railroad track owing to their excessive weight and the resultant need forswitching the same into a siding to clear the track and permit passenger or freight trains to pass, or when working on outside tracks clearing on .a prepared set-oil, clear of all tracks, when the machines are v.designed to make this possible.

A primary object of our invention, accordingly, is to overcome the above noted-disadvantages by providing a cribbing machine or unit which can be transported along a railroad track, readily removed therefrom into the track interspace; and just as expeditiously replaced on the track rails without the necessity of running to a siding, to afiord right of way for oncoming trains, or clearing machine on a prepared set-off.

Another object is to provide a cribbing machine or unit which will efiectively remove the inter-tie ballast from the crib to the desired side of the railroad. I

A further object of our invention is to provide a track cribbing machine capable of individual use, or of being serially assembled for collective or serialoperation.

A still further object of our invention to provide a machine of the type above indicated including an endless and easily detachabledrag device capable of quickly clearing out the cribs of railroad track and-ejecting the removed -ba1- last to the desired side of the track.

A further important object is the provision of a self-propelled cribbing-machine for-theremoval of railroad .ballast, wh-ich is simple in construction, comparatively cheap .to manufacture and much lighter in weight than similar means heretofore available.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a typical embodiment of our improved cribbing machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, viewed from below the preceding figure and showing said machine in active position.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat similar view, to the preceding figure but showing the machine as it completes or finishes the crib clearing operative cycle.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation looking from the right hand towards the left of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the machine with the drag means removed, as hereinafter fully described.

In describing the form of this invention, exemplified in the drawings herewith, specific terms will be employed for the sake of clarity, but it is to be understood the scope of said invention is not thereby limited; each such term being intended to embrace all equivalents which perform the same function for an analogous purpose.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the complete machine typified comprises a truck comprehensively designated I, mounted on flanged wheels 2, 2', and capable of operation for progression along the track rails 3 by means of appropriate driving mechanism, hereinafter explained, from a suitable air-cooled motor for example only such as indicated by the dot-anddash rectangle 4 in Fig. 1, such means being well known and needing no further illustration or explanation herein.

The truck l-conveniently consists of a rectangular frame 5 from which, and spaced from the ends thereof depend pairs of bearing members ii that include appropriate stub-axles 8 for the front flanged track wheels 2, whereas the rear track wheels 2' are mounted on short trunnions '9 in the spaced bearing members 6, see Figs. 2-5, and both of said members 6 are dependently secured to the bottom of the rear and front components of the rectangular frame '5. The trimnions 9 are preferably coupled by through pins H1 engaged in the open end slots II of a hollow shaft I2, fitted with a rigidly attached gear rs capable of being selectively meshed by either of a pair of rotative driving gears M, I5 under operative control of the motor 2 and an appropriate reversing mechanism, such as a friction-gear power-transmission [6 in turn shiftable, as required, by aid of an actuator rod llFigv-l, with an associated pair of foot pedals |8|9 in accordance with known practice.

As illustrated, the ballast removing means conveniently, although no essentially, comprises an endless element or drag-chain 29 having integrated at 2|, Fig. 4, to equally spaced links 22, scraper elements 23 preferably of angle section, see Figs. 2, 3 and 4 to best advantage; it being clearly apparent that the relatively outset flanges 24 thereof are dependent when moving over the active flight of said chain 29 during its passage through the crib 25 as later on fully set forth. The drag-device or chain 29 is trained about a grooved driving sheave 26 fast on the output. shaft 2! of the power transmission reversible mechanism l6 as well as about a pair of smaller guide and tensioning pulleys 29, 29 respectively mounted, by aid of appropriate means, for free rotation on pivotal arms 39, 3| carried by bearings 32, 93 respectively rigid with the rear side and end components of the frame 5.

The chain is also provided at intervals along its extent with a detachable link or links 34 whereby, when slackened, it can be readily uncoupled or released for withdrawal of that portion which extends under the rails 3, 3, between the ties 35 so that the machine can be moved from one crib to another, and the chain replaced for the succeeding crib clearing operation. The output shaft 21 of the power transmission mechanism I6 is operatively coordinated, in accordance with known means such as a worm gear 36 and a drive shaft 31, as indicated by dot-anddash lines in Fig. 1 to the motor 4; while the drag-chain 20 is continuously driven in the same direction, for example only counter-clockwise.

A spring influenced clutch 39 under control of a. hand lever 39 and associated shifter means 99 is operative to couple and uncouple the grooved drive-sheave 26 to and from the out-put shaft 2?.

Referring now to the means operative to adjust the working level of the drag-chain 29 bv aid of the pivotal arms 39, 9|, the arm 39, it will be seen is of somewhat bell-crank pattern while the arm 3| is somewhat forked whereas both of said arms embody relatively short sections 4!, 92 respectively, that project inclinedly in the same angular direction, or towards the left hand as shown. It is also to be observed that the pulley 2B is located at the end of the arm 39; whereas the pulley 29 is carried by the fork end of the arm 3! which includes a curved branch 43 supporting an idler device 44, for a purpose later on again re ferred to. The outer ends of the pivotal arm sections 4|, 42 are conveniently coordinated by rods 46, 41 and 53 which are shiftable by associated hand levers 48, 49 pivoted at 59 to the frame 5. The hand lever 48 is coupled at 95 to the rod 49; and the rod 53 is similarly attached at 55, Fig. 1, to the hand lever 49. These hand levers 48, 49 are capable of being latched together for joint movement, or of being relatively detached for independent movement and, to this end, a latching element 5| is pivotally carried on pivot pin 5|a by the lever 49 and a catch lug 52 is made fast on the lever 49. Lever 48 is recessed along the line 48a to accommodate pivot pin 5|a, and is free to move independently of pivot pin em. The pin 5 I a is fixed to lever 49 and to the corresponding arm of latch 5|, but is simply freely received in the groove 48a in lever 48. Thus, when the latch is disengaged from catch lug 5i, the lever 49 can swing about its pivot, relative to the lever 48, between limits defined on the one hand by the pin 5|a and on the other hand by the closed inclined end of latch 5|, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, is a substantially U-shaped member. Movement of the lever 48 when unlatched from the lever 49, to the right as viewed in Fig. 2, through a link 53 fulcrummed at 54 to the section 4| of the swingable arm 30, causes said arm 39 at the left of the machine with the associated chain guide and tensioning pulley 28 to swing outwardly and upwardly (or clockwise) and at the same time, enables corresponding movement of the swingable arm 3| outwardly and upwardly (or counterclockwise) at th right hand of the machine. Such counterclockwise movement is brought about by moving lever 49 in the direction opposite to the movement of lever 48. When both hand levers 48, 49 are latched together by the means 5 52 and the thus combined levers are conjointly drawn to the left hand, or counter-clockwise, both of the chain guide and tensioning pulleys 29, 29 move or swing to th right or counterclockwise through corresponding arcs and effect lowering of the active flight of the drag-chain 29 from the position represented in Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3. The operator feeds the chain 29 down by gradual manipulation of the levers 48, 49 or progressively moves them in latched connection. Obviously, when the levers 48, 49 ar latched together and moved in a reverse or clockwise direction the pulleys 29, 29 will swing in clockwise direction, bringing them to the positions represented in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The connection between the hand lever 49 and the swingable arm 3| at the right hand side of the machine, includes the rod 49 which is pivotally attached at 55 to a lateral bend 59 in said hand lever 49, while the other end of said rod passes through a guide sleeve El fulcrummed at 59 to the adjoining end of a plunger 59 of an automatic restoring means 19. Beyond the sleeve 51 the rod 49 is screw-threaded into a thimble 9| and secured by a lock-nut 62, see Fig. 1, which abuts, but is not connected to the adjoining end of the tubular extension 93 of guide sleeve 51. The thimble 9| is externally threaded into the adjoining end of the axially aligned tubular component 99 of the buffer means 69; whereas the remote capped end 65 of said component 94 is traversed by the rod 41 that is pivotally attached at 99 to the section 42 of the swingable arm 3|. The rod 47 is sleeved or encircled in the buffer means or device 69 by a coiled spring 61, intermediate a collar 99 fast on said rod end and the inner face of the cap end 65; while said collar 68 normally abuts the confronting end of the thimble 6|. A consideration of the structure just explained shows that Whenever the hand lever 49 is drawn toward the operator, or the left hand side of the machine it serves to swing the chain guide and tensioning pulley 29 toward the right hand or counterclockwise under a yielding pressure exerted by the spring 6?. Movement of said lever 49 in the opposite direction, or to the right, produces a reverse or clockwise movement of the pulley 29 and pivotal arm 3|; also any further such movement of the hand lever 49 after relieving the spring 9'! is actuated through direct contact of thimble 9| and collar 68.

From the foregoing it will also be apparent that as the levers 48 and 49 ar moved toward the left hand of the machine the thimble 5| and lock nut 62 will engage the adjoining end of the guide sleeve extension 63 and shift the latter in the same direction. Such movement, through connection of the guide-sleeve 51 by the rod 59 to an auxiliary restoring device III, which is connected at its enemas outer end =to the'bracket 33, appliesadditional tension to the auxiliary restoiingdevice Tm. By aid of the {lust described -'means whenever the hand lever fll alone is released "from movement toward the left hand, by disengagement of the latching means 5| 52 theauxiliary restoring adevice H1 will function to shift the chain guide pulley29 at the right hand side'of the machine toward the lcft, pulley 28 remaining stationary.

The action just described will'rai-se and slacken the chain 29 at the right hand-sideof the machine so that one of the detachable-links 1'33 can be uncoupled, provided the hand lever t8 has not been moved from the position it occupies when the "chain 2-0 is inoperation. If, however, the two hand levers 4-8, l9'are latched together when moved, the chain 2"0'w'il1 be"simultaneouslyraised at both ends and its condition of 'tensi'onw ill not be changed, whicncorresponds to the actionthat takes place when the automatic 'restoring device I I0 acts to raise said chain'fll, as aforesaid. It is only necessary for the operator to pull both hand levers '48, 49 towards himseli'orthe left hand side of the machine, in order to lower the chain as th ballast removing work progresses in the crib being cleared.

In addition to all of the foregoing, it will be readily appreciated, that-progression of our improved cribbing machine along the track rails '3, 3 in either direction is conveniently effected :by the'foot pedals l 8, I9 through the medium of appropriate 'gears 13, -'I4,"Fig. 4, and a chain drive 15, 'for example, "from the out-put shaft '2! of the reversible transmission 16, as schematically indicated by dotted lines in.'said .figure.

"Having described the structure .of our'ballastcribbing machineyas' typically illustrated by the accompanying drawings, the operation thereof as follows:

When commencing work, the drag-chain 20 is entirely removed from the machine, and the operator propels the .cribber along the rails 3 by aid of the motor 4, in the-necessary direction, to the desired location "where the work is .to'be done, and stops over the crib 2.5 tobe cleared of its ballast content. It is understood that cavities "i5, 16 have previously beenmade directly below and flanking the base flanges .of said rails 3, 3. The drag chain '20 is then manually drawn lengthwise through one of thecavities 1-6., Fig. 2,, below'the selected rail 3, over the crib ballast TI, and down under the other rail 3 through the other cavity 15, thence over the superjacent guide-tensioning-pulley 28, for instance, and: driving :sheave 22.6 aswell as the other pulley 29, whereupon the .free :ends

of the drag-chain 20 aredrawn together andconpled into endless continuity'byaidof the detachable link or links .34. It will, of course, be understood that, tofacilitate application of the dragchain 20, as explained,uthe'latch means 5|, "52 is disengaged andthe'handleverfl*moved towards the right, Fig. 2, the hand lever 48 being connected at 45 to rod 46, see Fig. 2, and rod 46 being connected through the medium of buffer 60 to arm 3| at 66, causes arm 3| to swing guid wheel 29 inwards toward rail 3. Lover 49, the companion lever to 48, se Fig. 1, connected at 55 to rod 53 which in turn is connected at 54 to arm 39 when moved to left, causes arm to swing guide wheel 28 inward towards rail 3. these levers, as abov described, shorten the distance around and over guide wheels 28 and 29, tension wheel 44, and driving wheel 26. Next, after placing the drag chain in position as previously explained, hand levers 48 and 49 are The movements of drawn together and iatched byrneans members 5 I, and 52 and then become operativeas onelever and this action at the same time causes-guide wheels 2 8-and 2 9, see-Fig; 2, through the med'ium of rods 46 and 53 to swing 'outwardly f r-om rails :3, 3 thus placingchain 211' under operating tension.

"Having replaced the chain 28 and -to-start the same moving in a counter-clockwise direction for example only'to-drag ballast ll-to the righthand of Fig. 2 'bymeans'of the scrapers 2 3; the spring influenced clutch- 38 on the cutput'shaftT-Lor the power transmission 1$ is thrust into active position by aid of the hand lever 39 and shifter means 40. As the endless chain 21! travels, the latched hand levers 48, -49 are jointly moved to the left hand or are drawn 'by the operator stationed thereat, towards himselfwherebyhe eifectsg-r-adual depression or' lowering of the active iiightof said chain into the crib 25; while the-machined, as a unit, may b moved acrossthe full width-of said crib to completely clear out, or remove, all of the ballast content 11 'rrom the latter. When all of the ballast H has been'removed from't-he crib 25 the latched hand levers 48, d9 are-reversedor pushed forward by the operator to elevate the drag-chain 2'0, as 'hereinbeforeexplained and the latch'means '51 {-52 discomiected to slacken the said chainas before set fort-h. The chain 20 is, thereupon detached and the machine 1 moved under its own power to the next crib 25 for the succeeding cribbing operation.

From the foregoing it willbe' readily appreciatedthat by our invention we provide a simple and highly efiicient' cribbing machine for removing the ballast from the cribs '25 of "railroad tracks; while it will be self-evidentthat by the continuous operation of 'the' drag-chain, "the "time occupied in removing the'ballast 11 is considerably reduced with a related reduction in the "labor cost involved. Furthermore-by"arranging :a series of cribbers, as before described and shown by the drawings, in'gang assembly,the saving in overhead expense "may be still further reduced.

Finally our invention is not to be understood as restricted to the precise embodiment herein disclosed, since the sametmaybe modified within the terms of the following claims without departing from'the spiritand'scope of said invention.

'We claim:

1. Apparatus for removing ballast from the crib between adjoining .ties .of "railroad track, comprising a wheeled truck'movabl'e along the track rails; a pair "of spaced pivotal members each bearing ,a rotary pulley; driving means sustained by the truck intermediate the pivotal members, a flexible drag-device trained about the driving means and rotary pulleys; recoil means effective to maintain theactive-travel of th drag-device "operatively tension'e'dand cushioned; pull-means operative to lower the active portion of the drag-device, in opposition to the recoil means; and power actuated means with control mechanism effective to progress the dragdevice in the requisite direction.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the spaced pivotal members are pendently carried by the wheeled truck and have the rotary pulleys proximate their lower ends; wherein one of said members is in the form of a bell-crank with a relatively short upper inclined section; and wherein the other of said pivotal members is forked and includes a correspondingly inclined section; wherein said forked member supports an idler device; and wherein coupling means connects said pivotal members for simultaneous or independent movement.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the flexible drag-device is in the form of an endless chain including one or more detachable links; and wherein said chain has equally-spaced outwardly-directed scraper elements integrated thereto.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the recoil means for cushioning and tensioning the dragdevice comprise a main and an operatively-coordinated auxiliary spring influenced movement restoring devices.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the pull means comprises a pair of pivotal hand levers including latch means whereby said levers are jointly movable; and wherein, when said latching means is released, one of said levers is independently movable to create a slack in the flexible drag-device, for the purpose specified.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein the flexible drag device is trained about a driving sheave and freely rotatable guide and tensioning pulleys; and wherein said pulleys are respectively carried by operatively coordinated bell cranks having capacity for vertical rotary movement.

7. In apparatus for removing ballast from the cribs between the ties of a railroad track, a wheeled truck; a flexible endless drag element adapted to be passed transversely of the track over the road bed and through pre-cleared spaces directly beneath the respective track rails; end guide wheels about which the drag element is trained; pivotal suspension arms supporting the guide wheels from the truck outward of the rails; means for driving the drag element; cushioning means influential upon the arms to allow upward yielding of the active portion of the drag element between the rails during removal of the ballast; means for concurrently moving the arms about their pivots to raise and lower the drag element for regulating the depth to which the ballast is removed; and means for taking up any excess slack occurring in the drag element as the arms are so moved.

8. Apparatus for removing ballast from between adjacent track ties below the rails in a road bed comprising a carriage movable along the track, spaced suspension arms pivoted to opposite sides of said carriage, guide members mounted on said arms with capacity to swing up and down about said pivots in a path that extends outside said rails, driving means on said carriage, a flexible drag element trained about the driving means and guide members and thereby passed transversely of the track over the road bed, drag element engaging means mounted on one of said arms with capacity to swing toward and from said drag element, and resilient means carried on the carriage influential upon one of said arms to swing said arm about its pivot and Y 8 force said engaging means against said drag element and thereby tension said drag element.

9. Apparatus for removing ballast from between adjacent track ties in a road bed comprising a carriage movable along the track, spaced suspension arms pivoted to said carriage, guide members mounted on said suspension arms with capacity to swing about said pivots, driving means on said carriage, a flexible drag element having ends provided with link means, said drag element being arranged to be trained about the driving means and also trained about the guide members and passed transversely of the track over the road bed to form a closed circuit when said ends are linked together, means for concurrently moving said suspension arms about their pivots to raise and lower the drag element for regulating the depth to which the ballast is removed, an idler element carried by one of said arms, and resilient means carried by the carriage and arranged to urge the idler element against the drag element.

10. In apparatus for removing ballast from the cribs between ties of a railroad track, a wheeled truck; a flexible endless drag element adapted to be passed transversely of the track over the road bed and through pre-cleared spaces directly be neath the respective track rails; end guide wheels carried by said truck about which the drag element is trained; movable means also carried by said truck and supporting the guide wheels from the truck outward of the rails; means on said truck for driving the drag element; and cushioning means carried by said truck and influential upon the guide wheel supporting means to allow upward yielding of the active portion of the drag lement between the rails during removal of the ballast, said drag element being composed of separable sections provided with detachable link means to permit reeving of said drag element beneath the track rails; and means operatively connected to the guide wheel supporting means whereby the guide wheel supporting means can be moved in opposition to the influence of the cushioning means to slack the drag element and thereby facilitate its placement in preparation for each cribbing operation.

JOSEPH M. FOX. CLARENCE J. REIGH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,778,690 Scheuchzer Oct. 14, 1930 1,782,478 Ruth Nov. 25, 1930 2,004,051 Lemaire June 4, 1935 2,254,742 Humphrey Sept. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 850,044 France Aug. 28, 1939 

